Themes:

• Developing and sustaining
• Joint vision, planning and evaluation
• Adding value

Level 5 illustration:

Developing and sustaining

We have a positive ethos and highly value collaborative and partnership working. Leaders at all levels initiate collaborative working with individuals, other organisations and communities to develop, deliver and improve provision. Individual partner organisations provide strong leadership in the development, delivery and sustainability of partnerships as appropriate. The local authority secures and sustains cohesive partnerships well to develop, implement and evaluate the impact of CLD plans and strategies. Partnership working is negotiated fairly with an agreed set of shared outcomes, expectations and with appropriate timespans. Staff and volunteers within partnerships understand their roles and responsibilities well. We take a planned approach to improvement and development in all collaborations and partnerships.

Joint vision, planning and evaluation

Partners at all levels understand and work to a shared vision and aims. There is clear ownership of the areas of work for which they are jointly responsible. We work together well to identify, negotiate, plan, deliver and evaluate joint work. We agree clear roles and responsibilities in achieving planned CLD and other community planning, strategic and national outcomes. Robust monitoring systems and clear targets are in place to support joint evaluation, planning for improvement and collective reporting to stakeholders. Partnership agreements are clear and improve the effectiveness and clarity of joint working. We undertake regularly shared learning and development activities which almost always leads to improved outcomes for learners and communities. Together we plan and manage transition or exit strategies from partnership working very well.

Adding value

Our partnership and collaborative working with other organisations and communities adds value for learners and communities. This almost always results in improved services for participants. All partners are clear about their own and each other’s contribution to partnership working and how this assists in securing positive impacts for learners and communities. This includes sharing resources where appropriate to best and most efficiently meet needs. Engagement and communication between partners is regular, structured, supportive and efficient. Communities and learners have a clear role, including influencing and making decisions within the majority of our partnerships. Their lived experience is valued and this supports the effectiveness of the partnerships to which they belong. The roles and responsibilities of each partner are well understood and communicated effectively to stakeholders. We learn from good partnership working elsewhere and use this to enhance our own practice.

Challenge questions:

1. How well do we actively seek out, promote, support and respond positively to partnerships that can deliver better outcomes for individuals, groups and communities?
2. How well do leaders at all levels initiate, negotiate and resource collaborative working to improve outcomes?
3. How effective is the local authority in developing, sustaining and supporting partnerships to develop and take forward priorities within CLD plans and strategies?
4. How clearly developed and well understood are the vision and aims of each of the partnerships to which we contribute?
5. How well do we ensure that within each partnership the roles and responsibilities of each member or organisation are clearly understood by everyone?
6. How well do we ensure that all partners are equally committed to delivering the intended outcomes that a partnership is working to achieve?
7. How effectively do we jointly plan, monitor and evaluate within partnerships?
8. How clear are we about what added value each partnership brings and what difference it makes to learners and communities?
9. How well do we attribute, report and share success within and across partnerships?
10. How well do we ensure community and learner voice is representative, heard and valued within our partnerships?
11. How well do we work with partners to forward plan and prepare to meet changing needs?
12. How successfully do we undertake joint learning and development activities that share and develop skills, information, knowledge and expertise across partnerships, resulting in improved outcomes for learners and communities?